A Game with Death
by littletrashbabymercuryblack
Summary: It's never good when you upset a certain pirate princess, so when the strawhat pirates unknowingly do, they are in for a big surprise when she returns to them.
1. Background Info

Hey guys so...this is my first time writing again after a little while so...please bear with me. I'm going to start out with a little bit of info on an OC of mine that is going to be included in this story. Even though you will find out more about her as you go, its better if you know more about her because you should understand the story better.(I think at least..and my fellow fanfic writer also thinks so too.) Anyways...here we go. If you have any questions..feel free to ask. I'm always open to curious people. So ask away. Don't be shy. I won't bite.

**Name:** Portgas D. Rose

**Real Name:** Portgas D. Anne

**Birthplace:** Baterilla (South Blue)

**Siblings:** Portgas D. Ace (twin)

Monkey D. Luffy (adoptive)

Sabo(adoptive)

**Attitude:** Childish, stubborn, protective, shy, can be anti-social, respects other people

**Devil Fruit:** Shadow

**Age:** 22

**Hair color:** Black

**Eye color:** Sky Blue

**Occupation:** Marine(Commodore), Pirate(Whitebeard), Schibukai, Shipwright(occasional)

**History:** Born in Baterilla. While transporting Garp was transporting her and her brother to Fusha Village, one of the Marines took a liking to her and asked if he could take care of her for a while longer. Garp said as long as it didn't get in the ways of duty and in his way then that Marine could take care of her for however long he could stand her. When she was 2, they stopped at Water 7 for a while and she had run out of the ship. She got lost on the island and the Marines didn't go looking for her. Raised for another 2 years on the streets by herself, she was then taken in by Tom. She became part of the shipwrights and around the age of 10, she was found by the Marine's and taken away to Fusha Village. Living there for a while, she made friends with her brother and his friends.(those 2 later became her brothers also.) At age of 14, she was taken by Garp to be trained as a Marine. Becoming the best Marine her adoptive grandfather could wish for, she later raised and became part of the "higher ups". She wanted to become a pirate, so she asked if she could be a Schibukai and since she was a favorite, the Marines agreed. The other Schibukai didn't really like it but later she proved herself to be a worthy pirate and soon became respected in the circle. One day, while in a village, she came across Whitebeard who took a liking to her. Asking if she wanted to become part of them, he took her aboard the boat and upon seeing her brother for the first time in forever, gladly agreed. She then became a double agent for the Whitebeard pirates. Later on, after the death of her brother, she kept mostly to herself until she heard about the "Strawhats" resurfacing. She then came and became a temporary crew member.

And now we begin our story!

(oh and before I forget. This is mainly a One Piece crossover. I love you all, I just wanted to warn you guys of this)


	2. The Beginning

_Dear brother,_

_Our dear Luffy has been quite lively lately. After a short stop at Punk Hazard, (as mentioned in a previous letter) it seems that we are headed to an island named "Dressrossa". If I'm not mistaken, that is Doflamingo's domain.(And I'm not looking forward to going there.) Luffy, it seems, doesn't care if its Doflamingo's or Shank's territory,as long as there is meat and he can run around and explore, he's just fine. I worry for him, you know? One day all of this will catch up with him. (though in a way, I guess it has.) I just hope that there won't be another incident to remind him of it._

When a large clammer resounded from outside the ship, a raven haired woman stood from her perch to check what the noise was about. As she walked out to the deck, she found a certain green haired swordsman and a blond haired cook fighting.

_Same old, same old. I wonder what stupid reason it could be this time._ She thought to herself, leaning against the railing.

"Hey Sanji! What are you two fighting about this time?" she called out, a grin spreading on her freckled face.

The duo took no notice of her comment and continued fighting. It was not until the girl had stealthily snuck up behind the blond and asked the same question, did they take note of her presence.

Sanji whipped his head in her direction, shocked at how close the female was to them. The sudden action had caused enough room for the swordsman to nick the cook's cheek.

The cook pushed away all thoughts of kicking his crewmate into oblivion, though a bit unwillingly."We'll continue this later marimo." Sanji growled,turning his attention to the woman. His eyes softened as he gently took hold of the female's hand. "What's wrong my little flower?" he asked, concern ebbing in his voice.

"I just wanted to know the reason why you two were fighting again," she replied, gently pulling away her hand from his light hold. She left all knowledge of the fact that they _always_ fought at the back of her mind.

Sanji lit another cigarette, mindful to direct the smoke away from the raven haired girl. He offered one to the female who rejected it politely, before replying. "You're the first to ask, actually," he muttered, too quiet for his companion to hear. "Anyways, the shitty swordsman just blamed me for the mustache our ever so mature captain drew on him."

"Wait, really?" she questioned, her semi-somber mood turning into a rather gleeful one. It wasn't every day that the female heard that phrase.

Glancing to see if the swordsman stayed put, Sanji stood up. "Just look at the marimo," he answered, blowing out another puff.

When the swordsman turned his head in her direction, she was finally able to notice the rather crudely drawn monocle and mustache. In the flurry of swords and legs, it was truly hard to tell that it was there. The female could not help but let out a laugh at the rare sight.

"Shut up! Its not funny!" Zoro yelled back, his face turning a brighter red with each second.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her back and a loud "Watch out!" from somewhere behind her. Instinctively, she twisted the hand off of her and moved quickly out of the way. She heard a loud "thonk" as a rather empty head hit the wooden railings keeping them from falling into the waters below. Now, she wasn't implying that her brother was stupid, just rather immature for his age.

"Hey Rose! What's up?" he asked, standing up from where he landed.

"Well, first of all, you could have gotten yourself in huge trouble with our fellow navigator and resident doctor," she replied, crossing her arms in a motherly fashion. "Second, great job on the monocle. Though, I think you should apologize for it." She didn't want to hear Zoro and Luffy have a huge argument about it later.

The raven haired boy walked over to where the swordsman was standing. "Sorry," Luffy replied with no sincerity, and a pinky up his nose.

"I thought I planned it out well, though. Why did you want me to apologize if you thought it was funny?" He asked as he nuzzled his older sibling..

"Because," she paused,a playful smirk spreading on her face," you ruined his manly pride." The action nearly earned her an attack from Zoro.

As the swordsman was about to charge, Sanji tensed up, ready to come to the female's defense. Before he could attack the marimo, he was stopped by a slight tug on the jacket from a bored looking Luffy. At first, the blond was a tad bit confused, but then understood completely as he saw Rose build up a quick nightmare barrier without even moving from her spot. The said "marimo" stopped in the middle of unsheathing his sword.

"Devil woman," Zoro muttered harshly as he stopped and sheathed his sword.

The female jumped on a nearby railing before replying."Now, now, Zoro. I would have thought you would have known better than to hurt a think that I had actually expected some change from you after all these years of living with Sanji," she muttered, looking at her nails with disinterest.

"Everyone is equal in my book," the green haired man stated simply, clutching the hilt of Wado Ichimonji ever so slightly.

"Hey! Rose is a lady, so she should be treat as such- which means differently," Sanji intervened, evident anger swelling inside him at the mere thought of his beloved Rose being an equal to the filthy man.

"No, it's fine," she answered, glancing at the blond chef before directing her attention back to Zoro."What makes me equal in your eyes?" the freckled woman asked, a curiosity hinting in her expression.

"I don't need to answer this," the green haired male grumbled, walking over to a nearby bench. Sitting down. he crossed his arms and leaned his head back. In a few moments, the marimo was asleep as if nothing had happened.

"And he wonders why its always him," Sanji mumbled, leaning next to Rose on the railing.

"There's nothing that we can do to stop those kids from doing something to him while he sleeps," the freckled female added, staring at the steady rise and fall of the swordsman's chest.

"I guess not," the curly eyebrowed cook agreed, lighting yet another cigarette.

"Now if you will excuse me. I have a letter to finish," she excused herself as she jumped down from her current perch.


	3. The Meeting

Sanji followed her."Rose-swan," he called out," would you like anything to drink while you finish up?"

Rose could never resist his amazing culinary skills but she doubted that he knew what to make for a killer headache. Yes, Rose had a headache and it was awful." Unless you have something that could help with a headache," the dark haired female answered," I think I'm fine." Her head was pounding and the sun was too bright for her tastes. All she wanted to do was get inside as fast as possible but she also wanted to be polite to the blond. She just hoped that he would be quick with his response.

"I know just the thing," the curly eyebrowed cook replied, a large smile spreading on his face.

"I will most likely be in the aquarium bar but if not I will most likely be in the girl's quarters," the pirate princess informed the cook as she walked into the ship's interior.

When she walked into the dining area to get her papers, she noticed a certain blue haired cyborg sitting at her spot. He seemed to be looking at what Rose believed to be her current letter to Ace.

"Hey Franky," She greeted, trying to seem as casual as possible as she walked closer to him.

"Hey Roro," he replied not looking up from the paper.

"I thought we agreed way back when that only Iceburg can call me "Roro,"" the dark haired female noted, trying her hardest not to blush. It was a childish nickname that made Rose feel a little embarrassed when anyone but a certain shipwright called her that.

"We did, but in this case I think its only right," he answered, removing his reading glasses. He looked up at her with eyes that were evidently processing words that did not bode well for the dark haired female.

"What case? Unless you want me to call you "Blue Flamm" again you should explain," she glared back, knowing exactly which buttons to push to get what she wants from him. After all, he hated that nickname to the very pit of his robotic being. When his mouth became slightly agape at her "audacity", the dark haired female knew that she hit the right spot. Pleasure swelled in her chest, her headache now just a slight ebb.

"Hey. You promised that after that one time you wouldn't ever _dare_ to call me that anymore," his tone was harsh and rather cold. Just like himself.

Sure Franky was cool now, but she knew him during his rebellious stage and sometimes it came out when he was with her.

"I know but now I can actually beat your ass," she retorted. No matter what, the pirate princess would not back down. She was, after all stronger than him. She had more resolve. There was also a little thing called "pride" that she had to deal with too.

"Ok fine. The only reason I say it is because you care a lot about your brother, who you weren't even familiar with until when you were,what, 10 years old? But you didn't even care the slightest bit about what Iceburg was up to. You never even wrote after Sabo's death, but as soon as you hear that Luffy was at Water 7 you decide to rush over from wherever you were at that moment and decide that you can just catch up on what happened over those years like nothing happened? As if you didn't miss almost 12 years of life with us. Is that fair? Don't we deserve something too?" he interrogated her, his cold demeanor becoming more evident with each word.

"What am I supposed to do about it? Haven't you thought about the fact that I was going through a hard time and I was in charge of comforting the other two after he died. I wasn't the selfish and rude one. I was trying to cope with something while helping others cope. Then when I had finally recovered Garp took me away and made me become a Marine. The schedule was so busy I had no moment to write. Sure, afterwards I could have visited but do you realize how hard it is to be a Commodore, Shichibukai and a Whitebeard Pirate at the same time? Do you think I wanted to just come without a warning and try to make up for the years missed in one day? No. I didn't. I honestly didn't but I had no choice." she answered, her voice laced with tears that she tried to keep hidden.

If another word even came out of that robot's mouth, the floodgates would open and she won't be able to hold them back. She would not allow the cyborg to see her like this, she would just be considered weak after all that she had just spouted. Just like she was when she was little.

"Rose, is everything ok?" a voice suddenly asked, interrupting their "conversation".

Turning around she found Sanji standing in the doorway. He was holding a tray with something on it but Rose had no time to pay attention to that. What really caught her attention was how calm he was about the situation in front of him. The pirate princess was convinced that the whole ship had heard the exchange of words. Why was he so calm?

"Yeah, its,"she practically ripped the paper from the cyborg's hands. She would not allow him to hold it any longer."Fine."

As she stormed out onto the deck, she heard the now rather gentle voice of the blue haired pervert,"Rose! Wait up! Look, I didn't mean what I said." She was surprised at the audacity of the male to act like he did not say those harsh words just moments before.

Whipping her head around she saw Franky gazing at her. A sorry look was playing on his stupid face.

" Yeah. Sure you didn't," she growled,"Just leave me alone, ok?" She could not stand seeing him anymore. She needed to go somewhere far away from the _Thousand Sunny._

"If anyone asks, I am going out," she mumbled as she passed the now, rather alert swordsman. Zoro merely nodded in understanding as he returned to cleaning his swords.

Without another word, she jumped on to the _Striker_, which was attached to the boat by a mere string. In a way, even the rope was stronger than she was.

**The _Striker_ had been her brother's boat since before she could even think about having a plan to "legally" become a pirate. After Ace had jumped ship to go after a "rebellious" subordinate, the only way that the rest of the crew could find him was by that boat. When Rose and the rest of the Whitebeard pirates caught whiff of a battle between Ace and Blackbeard, they did the first thing that came to mind.**

**They went after him.**

**Of course, Ace, being an unpredictable ass as usual, was not there when they showed up, much to many Whitebeard pirates' displeasure. The abandoned hat and boat left behind by the missing second division commander did not bode well with anyone. So, in hopes to finding him faster, the large crew gave them both to Ace's one and only sister**

Sailing off, she had no destination and could care less as long as she got away for a while. Closing her eyes, she focused on making the boat cruise just fast enough to whip her long hair around in the wind. After calming down a bit, she looked out into the vast ocean and sailed to childhood island she could reach first.

In a few weeks, she finally arrived in Water 7. On her way to the island, of course, there were many pleading calls over den den mushi from the rest of the crew to come back, but she knew she needed some away time from them. She loved her brother, but there were some things that were still too fresh in her mind. She could not deal with any words that Franky might throw at her again until the wounds had more time to heal.

As the dark haired female made her way towards the familiar shipwright docks, she passed various shops selling an array of goods ranging from small food markets to huge book stores and boutiques. All of it was too familiar and calming. She had a few bad memories her but after meeting Tom, they were much more pleasant. And pleasant was exactly what she needed right now.

Drifting further on, she heard the distant sound of what any newcomer would mistake for a stampede. The people who lived there knew exactly what was happening since they saw it every day. The so called "stampede" was actually a rather large, mixed crowd of debt collectors and fans of an old friend of hers.

Turning a few more corners, she heard the voices clearer and clearer. In a few, the sounds were pretty much beside her as the source of the commotion ran across a bridge as fast his feet could carry him.

Sighing, she parked the boat and jumped onto the cobblestone sidewalk just in time to meet the crowd.


	4. The Weird Relationship

Sorry that it took so long to upload and that its such a short chapter! I'll upload more when I get it done. I have motivation now so hopefully I'll be posting every Friday or so, starting next week. Though it may turn out to be Wednesday and Friday. But for now, I hope you enjoy the addition.

* * *

Following suit, she felt her hair flowing in the wind behind her. She passed the little boy in a flash and made her way to Iceburg. She received a welcoming hug from the purple haired he slowly let go of her and she of him, she turned to face a really happy looking Ninjin.

"What are you smiling about?" she asked, confused.

"I think I have figured out your relationship with him." he replied

"And what is that?" she asked, slightly blushing

"You two are dating!" The shorter declared

"WHAT?! No! We're- we- what?!" the said in unison as both of their faces turned extremely red and they stared at each other in confusion

"Yes you are! You two totally are! I can see it in the way you were hugging him!" the little boy replied as he grinned from ear to ear, pleased with the reaction.

They looked at each other and quickly stepped a few feet away from each other. The air became heavy with the awkwardness that the smaller male had suddenly created.

"So..." Iceburg slowly started," Who's the kid?"

" , this is Ninjin. Ninjin, Iceburg. " she said as introduced them to each other.

"Nice to meet ya!" Ninjin greeted, still smiling.

She kept on stealing glances at Iceburg as the awkward silence was slowly building up again. Ninjin soon realized that they wanted to be alone and walking away he told the older two," Well. You two have some fun! Don't stay out to late! And Rose. I can't wait to hear what you have to say about how you met him later. I'll be waiting."

With a quick wave, he ran off. When they made sure that he was out of sight, they relaxed their unknowingly tensed muscles and looked at each other. Not being able to contain the feelings of finally seeing each other after so long, they walked up to each other and hugged once again.

She felt her whole world spin as she started to slip away from consciousness. She let herself forget everything that happened earlier that day with the Strawhats and just slip into the wood shaving and paint scent that was slowly wafting from her friend.


	5. Strange Memories

_**"Wait up sis!" a silver haired male greeted her as he caught up to him.**_

_**The white haired female turned around to face her brother. She couldn't help but let out a laugh as she saw her brother struggling to get up the small hill.**_

_**"Why should I?" She asked playfully,"Slowpoke!"**_

_**"Not fair! I can't help that I have shorter legs than both of you and I'm the oldest!" he groaned out.**_

_**"Oh please! You're only older than me by 12 minutes. It doesn't count." She told her twin.**_

_**Once the male caught up with her, they walked to the designated area of the meet up with male's two best friends. They reached the bar before time and waited for the other two to show up. When the other two showed up, they greeted each other with hugs and walked in to the corner bar.**_

_**"What would it be for you guys today? The usual?" the blond haired bartender asked the group.**_

_**"Yes please, brother," Rose told the bartender.**_

_**"Rose, you know not to disturb Ludwig when he's working," the silver haired male commented.**_

_**"Come on Gil, lighten up. It's not like he gets much entertainment in here anyways," their fellow french man commented.**_

_**With that they continued to joke about what might happen in this bar. When Ludwig brought them their drinks, they thanked him and started drinking as they heard the latest gossip from their favorite blond haired frenchie. This whole conversation only took them 3 rounds of drinks to finish. Paying for their respective drinks, they decided to take a walk in their favorite park.**_

_**They stopped at many clothes shops and boutiques along the way and messed around with the various clothing. Francis would buy a few things here and there that he liked and try to convince the rest of the group to do the same. Rose occasionally gave in but Gilbert and Antonio were standing steady on their verdict.**_

_**Finally reaching the park, they strolled around until they reached their favorite spot and sat down on the benches. Joking around with each other, they got weird looks from passers by but none of them really cared. Suddenly they heard a gun shot and saw as blood started tainting the white shirt of their female friend.  
**_

_**Rose could only feel pain. She started flowing in and out of consciousness as she stared in belief at the blood pooling from below her ribcage. She heard muffled yells all around her as she slid off the park bench and onto the harsh gravel road of the park. **_

_**Gilbert and Francis rushed to her side as Antonio hurriedly dialed for 911. The albino hurriedly pulled of his jacket and wadded it up before he pressed it against the wound. Rose heard only certain parts of what he was telling her as black spots started to blot her vision and her eyelids got heavy. The pain just grew and grew as her body started convulsing from shock.**_

_**Out in the distance she heard sirens and then her world went black.**_

* * *

The dark haired female woke up in cold sweat. Sitting up, she took in her surroundings and noticed that she was in Iceburg's room at the company headquarters. Sighing with relief, she laid back down and closed her eyes as she rolled onto her side.

Rose was at a loss for words, she was unsure of whether the whole thing was a dream or a memory. It felt so real that she could still feel the place where the bullet had ripped through her skin. She pulled the blanket away and searched for any marks or scars that would have appeared there if it had really happened to her but she just didn't remember.

Luckily, it was not real and she took the time to calm herself down before anyone came in. As if on cue, she heard the door click open and saw her purple haired friend walk through.

"I see you're finally awake," he commented as he sat on the bed beside her.

"Yeah. I don't know what came over me. Sorry for passing out on you back there," Rose apologized as she gently grabbed hold of his hand as if to steady herself and reassure her that the moment she is in right now is whats real.

"It's alright. I see you still have trouble sleeping," he admitted to the female as he scooted closer to where she was laying.

Rose just simply nodded and pulled herself onto his lap. Iceburg started to soothe her by petting her head just like he had used to do years ago, when she was a kid and she had trouble sleeping or something had scared her.

"How's Franky doing?" Iceburg asked, wanting to know the whereabouts of their other friend.

"He's doing just fine, I think,"Rose replied sourly, still trying to get over what Franky had said a few weeks prior.

"What's wrong? Did Franky do something to you again?" The purple haired male questioned the female.

"You could say that," Rose sighed, not wanting to go into the whole story.

"What did he do?" The purple lipped male questioned the freckled female.

"Its nothing," she replied stubbornly.

"Come on, just tell me Rose. You know its better that you don't resist answering," Iceburg told the female.

"Fine," she sighed, giving in,"As long as you promise not to go off on Franky about this."

"Okay. I promise," the male answered, wanting to know what their troublemaker had done this time to make Rose react this way.

"Well, he read my private letters to Ace. He accused me of not caring for you or anyone else that took care of me before I was taken away to live with Ace and Luffy with a bunch of bandits. He said the only time I really came over again was after almost 12 years of not seeing each other and it was all because Luffy was there. That I acted as if I didn't miss all of those years and that I didn't seem to regret never visiting and that you were wrong in caring for me. That you should have never even cared for me in the first place," Rose answered, on the verge of tears at the memory of their cyborg companion's words.

"Ro-ro, I know you were really busy over there, having to take care of 3 boys and help around the house with chores and such, but you wrote often,he just doesn't know that because I always kept them secret,"The older male assured her," I'm just glad you came back that one time and from then on, came to visit occasionally when you weren't swarmed with other duties from your other various organizations."

At those words, Rose couldn't help but let go of her pent up emotions. Pretty soon she was a mess of tears and snot as Iceburg comforted her, not caring what it would do to his clothes, just as long as he got to comfort the female. Over the years that she had lived with Tom's workers, he had grown to care for her like a younger sister that he never had. They were all misfits and she, along with the rest of the crew, were the closest he had gotten to being able to call a family.

Tom's workers had had every component of a perfect family: Their caring and hardworking father was none other than Tom-san, their caring mother was Kokoro-san and his siblings were Cutty Flam (now known as Franky) and Rose (who's real name turned out to be Portgas D. Anne, but she had chosen to keep it as Portgas D. Rose because of her connection to the name given to her by Iceburg) Of course they also had a pet, who just happened to be a frog that they treated like a human who went by the name, Yokozuna.

She looked up at the male when she had calmed down and asked," What time is it Iceburg?"

"I can't really tell the time of day since the blinds are closed," she then added with a small laugh.

"It would be about 8:00 in the evening, why?" he replied as he looked down at his watch.

"Because," she started as she hurriedly got out of bed and started putting on her boots," I have to meet Ninjin in less than an hour on that hill where Going Merry was parked while she still existed."

"Alright, have fun with that!" the male told her as he watched her grab her yellow short sleeved zip-up shirt that reminded him of the one that was seen on her brother's earliest wanted posters and rush out of the room.


	6. Why me?(Part 1)

**TRIGGER WARNING GUYS! THERE IS ABUSE IN THIS CHAPTER! I'M VERY SORRY BUT I CARE FOR YOU GUYS READING AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE ANYTHING BAD HAPPEN TO YOU BECAUSE OF THIS CHAPTER.**

* * *

The dark haired female jumped onto her brother's boat and tried her best to make it on time. As she pulled up, she anchored the small vessel and jumped out. When the younger noticed her from his perch up on the hill, he waved at her as his shadow grew longer in the setting sun.

Rose waved back in greeting as she finally climbed up the hill and sat down next to the light purple haired boy. "Hey Ninjin," she started with a smile.

"Hey Rose. How was that alone time with Iceburg?" the younger asked coyly.

"W-what do you mean?" the female stuttered.

"I take that as it was great," he chuckled.

"Actually," she started as she fanned her face to prevent from blushing, "I was passed out for almost the whole time."

"How come?" the boy asked.

"Well, I usually can't sleep so when it becomes too much, I tend to pass out at the worst times," The female explained in simple terms as she fiddled with a blade of grass she had picked off.

"Why not?" Ninjin inquired as he stared at the sun set.

"Usually its because I have nightmares every time I close my eyes," the female stated as she felt a warm wind blow from the ocean. The sound of the last sea train into the city could be heard in the distance.

"If you don't mind me being so nosy," the teen started, " could you tell me why you have those nightmares?"

"Mainly its what I experienced in the past," she sighed, "The things I've seen. The things I've experienced. The things I did. They are all things I would rather burn in a fire than to see it happen again, on repeat."

"Oh," Ninjin echoed as he could only imagine what the young adult had experienced.

"Anyways, I'm not here to talk about my sleep issues, remember?" the twenty-one year old reminded,"I promised to tell you about how I met Iceburg."

"Yes you did," the carrot head acknowledged,"So how did you meet him?"

"If I'm going to tell you then you need to know a little bit more about me. It will be the basis of the whole story,"Rose stated, "I was never really supposed to be on Water 7 in the first place. I was on my way to the Goa Kingdom with grandpa Garp when a Marine had taken a liking to me and didn't want me to leave. Grandpa let him keep me as long as he took care of me and made sure I didn't get in the way of missions."

"We had arrived on Water 7 for a pit stop and I, at the age of 3, decided to run off. I was curious about the places they visited and I was never allowed to actually get off the ship so I could only watch from the deck at the beautiful cities. I got lost and when I finally found my way back to port, I didn't see the ship. I was stuck there and I relied on my own instincts to survive."

The female stopped and looked at the boy who had laid his head down on her legs. He looked so adorable just laying there that she could not help but smile. At that moment in time, she wished that she had a child of her own to take care of. The boy moved around and mumbled something along the lines of "tell me the story already." Rose let out a laugh as she stroked his head.

"Fine," she commented,"at least now that you know that I can get on with the main point."

The city was bustling with activity and the small girl was only helping with bringing it to life. She was running from stall to stall grabbing anything she could before running off to find another hiding spot for that night. This routine was her only way that she had ever learned to survive in the water infested city.

She outran the usual swarm of shop owners and in a little while, she had found her hiding place for the night. When she was sure that no one was still looking for her, she lay out the provisions for the week. She really should not be doing it as often as she has been doing it so she has to start coming out for food every other week.

The skinny female salivated over the small amount of fresh fruit and baked goods that she had managed to scrape together. Before she could hide it though, she heard a loud yell echo in the small alley way. "Hey loser!" it called out.

She weakly turned around as she was still exhausted from her small run. Her stomach grumbled slightly as she kept on eyeing the food while the group had started advancing towards her. The leader noticed the meal and with a smile, he stomped it into the dirt. "Now what are you going to eat? Huh?" the boy asked as he towered over the seated female.

Looks like I'm going to have to go without food for a week. Not the first time and I survived, the female thought to herself.

The leader was not satisfied with just ruining her food. No, he was originally here for something else and he was going to make sure he finished it. Without another word, he grabbed the bony female by the neck and watched as she weakly scraped at his hands in an attempt to free herself. The weak girl's vision was soon spotted with black dots as she started to lose the ability to collect air to her lungs. The male quickly grew tired with holding the soon to be limp female in his fist and let her drop harshly to the ground.

One of the members of the group stepped out and searched for something in his pockets before finding it and handing it to the leader. The young girl knew enough about weapons in her few years she was with her Grandpa to realize that those were brass knuckles and that she was terribly screwed in terms of pain.

The leader put them on and raised his fist high before striking down harshly on the female. She cried out in pain before attempting to get into fetal position before he could administer another blow. Her attempt was in vain because he managed to get to her before she could complete her task. After he had administered about twenty more blows, her body was shaking from the pain and she was barely hanging on to consciousness as is.

The male had one more thing planned for her. From the group she heard the slight sound of wood against gravel. One of the lackeys handed over a two by four with rusted nails sticking out from various parts. After the member did that, he advanced and locked one of the dirt caked female's bloodied arms to the cobblestone pavement. The others followed suit and pretty soon, she was stretched out just enough so that all of her important body parts she used for mobility was open for attack. There was no way she could be able to curl up into fetal position in her terribly weakened state.


	7. Why me?(Part 2)

_**Hey Guys! Once again I have to tell you guys that there is a trigger warning here. Sorry for so much! There is some abuse at the very beginning but there shouldnt be any other triggers anywhere else. Stay Safe Guys!-Marmar**_

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_**The leader struck her leg and she heard a loud crack as her leg twisted another way. Pain echoed through her body and it burned her from the inside out. Another blow was administered to her ribs and she no longer wanted to live another second in this life. **_

_**She started to sob as she wished she was with her grandfather or maybe even in Fuisha Village living with some adoptive family. She wanted to be as far away from this place as possible and the only reason she really stayed here for as long as she did was in hope that her grandad would come looking for her.**_

_**As the male was about to strike another blow, his arm was stopped by a large yellow one from a male who had appeared in the shadows. The crying female could not see his face but whoever he was, she was thankful for him.**_

"_**What do you think you are doing to this poor little girl?" the deep voice bellowed.**_

"_**She's getting what she deserves,sir," the leader replied.**_

"_**All this because she steals to survive?" the deep voice asked. Through tears she managed to see that there was a contained rage hidden behind the relative calm demeanor of the mystery man.**_

"_**Yes. She ruins our parent's lives. She steals their way of feeding the family just so she can survive. Our parents always come home exhausted and pissed at this shit head for stealing their food," another explained.**_

"_**First of all, language! Second, have you ever stopped to think that they just do that for show? Some of your parents know what it feels like to be in her place. They were there. They know the pain," The mysterious man told the group,"Your parents will be hearing about this. So run along and pray to god that whatever punishment you will get is better than what I would have done to you if I was your parent."**_

_**When the words registered in their minds, the boys ran for their houses, leaving the orphan and the mysterious man alone. In the small light that shone from above, sh saw that the man was part fish. He kneeled next to the dark haired girl and assessed the damage. The broken female saw the disgusted and yet deeply saddened look in his eyes. The man would later tell her that the disgust was not because of her but because of what they had done to her.**_

_**The adult held out his large hand as if to say "May I?" The female's body hurt every where that she could only nod slightly and even that had caused pain to course through her body. He gently lifted her up and cradled her gently. He explained to the female that he will be taking her back to his house and that he would nurture her back to health.**_

_**The girl was so overcome with emotions and pain that she could no longer hold on to consciousness. She shut her eyes and the next time she opened them she was being gently bandaged up by a white bandana wearing male. The male noticed that she was awake and smiles widely in greeting as he finishes up with her arm. The purple haired male helped her sit up in the futon and he propped up the pillow behind her to insure that she would be as comfortable as possible. **_

_**He handed her a cup of water and the male sat beside her in watch as she drank. The girl handed him back the cup and smiled in thanks. "My name is Iceburg. What's yours?" He started as he felt the need to get to introductions.**_

_**The girl merely shrugged. She vaguely remembered being called by something whenever she saw her grandfather but she just could not recall what it was.**_

"_**Come on, everyone has to have a name, right?" the boy asked her in slight disbelief.**_

_**The girl shook her head. She looked at her possible friend and only sighed as she pointed to herself.**_

"_**Do you want a name?" he questioned earnestly.**_

_**The girl happily nodded. She wanted a name and who did not? One cannot be called by their gender only their whole life. **_

"_**Alright! Hmmmm, let me think of something fitting of you," the boy replied as he tapped his chin in thought. The female felt a sudden urge to lay her head on his shoulder. As she did so, the male only looked at her in slight shock, but he seemed to recover relatively quickly and continued to think of a suiting name.**_

_**"How about Anne?" He asked. Though as soon as he said it, he realized that that was not really the most suiting name for her. It was too simple.**_

_**His suspicions were correct when the girl shook her head sadly. The name itself rang a bell in the young female's mind but she just could not place it to a person. Maybe it was her real name maybe it was her mother's or one of the many girlfriends of some of the marines. She was not sure.**_

_**"Alright," he commented, " How about Annabelle?"**_

_**The name was nice but she did not really think it suited her. The broken female shook her head forlornly in response. **_

_**"Hmmm, I am not that good with thinking of suiting names," the purple lipped male pondered,"My own name is basically a big block of ice floating in the ocean."**_

_**The male took his time to think of other names that were unique because it seemed that the little girl on his shoulder did not like regular names. Suddenly he had a great idea for a name. He was so proud of it that he almost jumped up with joy. He just hoped she will like it.**_

_**"How about Rose?" He mused with his fingers crossed behind his back.**_

_**The girl smiled in response. **__She really does have a nice smile. I wish she would do that more, __**Iceburg thought to himself. He was pleased that she liked the name.**_

_**"Alright Rose. If you're curious about anything just ask," he told her kindly as he watched her crawl over to the drawers near them**_

_**He watched as Rose used the walls to ease herself up and get a picture off from the top of the shelf. Once she was done she limped back to the futon, her broken foot dragging behind her. Even though Tom had instructed him to make sure she did not move around with all her injuries, Iceburg could not help but watch on and admire her persistence.**_

_**She eased herself back down and carefully scooted closer to him as she lay the picture frame into his lap. The shipwright merely let out a small laugh in realization of the photograph. It was a really old picture that Tom liked to usually keep in his desk drawer. On the photograph there was a younger Tom and the late pirate king standing together smiling as the Oro Jackson stood anchored to the shore. **_

_**Iceburg could not help but notice that the newly named female looked quite similar to the late pirate king. This fact caught him off guard and for a second he actually believed that she could be his daughter. Even though that was impossible, for a second, the shipwright started to believe otherwise. The female pointed to the fishman in the photograph. **_

_**"That's Tom-san. He's the one who saved you a few days ago," he explained. **_

_**The news that Rose had been out for a few days seemed to surprise the little one. The man only smiled to assure her that it was normal for someone to pass out for that long after something like she had experienced. Suddenly, the dark haired female's stomach grumbled in hunger. The older noticed and excused himself to go get her something to eat. **_

_**Rose was left alone again and she took that time to take in what she had been through. She was saved by someone who did not know her and he was really kind. Then there was the other male to think about. By the bags under his eyes, it had seemed that he had been taking care of her every waking minute of his day. She was thankful for him also, and she wished she could stay here forever but she knew that once she was able to get back properly on her feet, she would have to be on her way again. There was no way someone like Iceburg or Tom would ever let her stay. **_

_**The thought saddened her but she did not have much time to wallow in her sorrow because the purple lipped shipwright came back soon enough with a bowl full of warm soup. He helped her eat it and Rose felt that she had never had a better meal. Out of habit, She stopped herself after 3 spoonfuls. She felt the need to ration it out even though she knew that there would be more for her if she wanted it. No matter how many times Iceburg had assured her, she still could not bring herself to eat any more. **_

_**The man placed the bowl down on the table so that he had easy access to it whenever she wanted some more. The female returned to the photograph she had placed into her lap for the time being. She curiously pointed to the second male in the photograph.**_

"_**That would be the late pirate king Gol D. Roger," he started,"Tom had built his ship for him."**_

_**Rose took interest in the unique but yet familiar name. She tested the name out on her tongue."G-ol Dee Rodger," she started, her voice hoarse from a years worth of inactivity.**_

_**The male smiled in response. The way she said it just lit something up in him. He felt like he was there for something special. He felt the need to always be there for her. He, like Tom, saw goodness in her even if she did not show much at first. She had to grow up too soon and that pained him. **_

"_**Yes, Gol D. Roger. He is a great person actually. I havent met him personally but Ive heard the stories Tom told me about him and they are pretty amazing," he commented. He noticed that the female had started eyeing the bowl on the table. Rose seemed to shy away from it eventually convincing herself that she will eat that at the end of the day.**_

_**She eventually fell asleep on his shoulder. When Iceburg had made sure she was sound asleep he carefully placed her back down and took care of the sleeping girl. **_

_**It went on like this for many months afterward. Iceburg took care of her and told her various stories about the company. Occasionally Iceburg was joined by a green haired female named Kokoro. Tom made sure to check in on her occasionally and when Rose started to get better, she had set a date with them when she was leaving. **_

_**When the fated day had arrived, she looked forlornly at the people who had treated her so well and with a sad smile she turned to leave. "Wait, Rose," the fishman called out to her,"I've got a proposition for you."**_

_**The word "proposition" made Rose stop in her tracks. Curious at what the man had to offer, she turned around to face the group. **_

"_**How would you like to become my apprentice? You could live here and help me build and design ships. I've seen how much you like it here. So what do you say?" Tom asked the small female.**_

"_**Sir, I would love to. That is of course if no one else minds," she replied whistfully. Her heart fluttering because for the first time, she thought that maybe she had found a family. Rose looked around and saw that everyone else was smiling and nodding in agreement. She could not help but tear up for a little.**_

"_**Welcome to Tom's Workers," The yellow fishman greeted the new member.**_

"From then on, I helped create many of the ships you see now. I finally had found people that loved me like their own child or sibling," The dark haired young adult finished as she looked out at the starry sky.

She only heard soft breaths coming from Ninjin as he was fast asleep on her lap. Rose smiled as she picked him up and carried him down the other side of the hill, opposite of where she had come from. Gently setting him down onto the deck, she noticed the grandpa from earlier come out to peak at the visitors. He smiled when he was Ninjin fast asleep with the female watching over him. Bidding the two farewell, Rose made haste to her usual place of residency whenever she stayed at Water 7.


End file.
